Admit rate has ranged 54%–73% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Ohio Northern University (ONU) is a small, private liberal arts university in rural Ada, Ohio, that punches above its weight with a 95% job placement rate and a fiercely loyal alumni network. Known for its hands-on engineering and health sciences programs, ONU combines Midwestern practicality with a 13:1 student-faculty ratio that ensures no one gets lost in the crowd—though 75% of students do stick around campus on weekends.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
2,489
In-state tuition
$39,800
Out-of-state tuition
$39,800
Mascot
Polar Bears
Total Cost
$57,236
Campus Size
342 acres
Acceptance Rate
74.4% (2024)
Student-Faculty Ratio
13:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
70%
Avg Financial Aid Package
$28,000
Job/Grad School Placement
95% (2025)
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$80,928
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
3.3×
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
75%
First-year retention
84%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
85%
Pell (lower-income) share
38%
First-generation share
24%
Endowment / student
$86,823
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Mechanical Engineering$70,680
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$68,219
Civil Engineering$63,005
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians$63,005
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$60,623
Accounting and Related Services
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
91
Summer high
82°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
38.8"
Annual snow
23"
Natural-hazard risk
Very Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
95
Scholarly works
2,790
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.6%
Bottom → top quintile
52%
From bottom quintile
3%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Ohio Northern University?
Ohio Northern University's acceptance rate is approximately 74% (Ada, OH), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Ohio Northern University?
Admitted students at Ohio Northern University typically score 1175–1400 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Ohio Northern University cost?
At Ohio Northern University, the average net price (after aid) is about $24,478 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Ohio Northern University?
Ohio Northern University enrolls approximately 2,489 undergraduate students.
Where is Ohio Northern University located?
Ohio Northern University is located in Ada, OH.
Admissions
ONU is selective but not cutthroat, with a 74.4% acceptance rate (3,452 admits from 4,640 applications in 2024). The middle 50% of admitted students score between 1160–1360 on the SAT or 20–28 on the ACT, with 40% boasting GPAs of 4.0 or higher. Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. since at least 2023, the university emphasizes holistic review—though strong academics (average HS GPA: 3.85) clearly help. Rolling admissions run through August 23, but early applicants snag the best scholarships.
ONU’s five colleges (Arts & Sciences, Business, Engineering, Pharmacy, Law) offer , with engineering, business, and health sciences drawing the most majors. The means 48.4% of classes have —critical for hands-on programs like Strength and Conditioning (where students dissect muscle mechanics) or Mechanical Engineering (with a ‘top-notch’ lab and co-op pipeline). The vibe is : 96% job placement speaks to ONU’s focus on , not just theory.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$53,629
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$51,482
Construction Management$50,563
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Life at ONU revolves around its 342-acre, tree-lined campus, where 75% of undergrads live on-site. With 20+ law student orgs alone (plus 11 dining spots), there’s a club for everything—though the rural setting means students make their own fun. Greek life is present but not dominant, and Division III athletics (Ohio Athletic Conference) draw crowds. Instagram posts show a tight-knit, slightly quirky community: think pumpkin-carving contests, midnight pancake study breaks, and Polar Bear pride (yes, that’s the mascot).
ONU’s 95% placement rate (2025 grads) isn’t marketing fluff—it’s backed by a 97% survey response rate, with most alumni landing jobs or grad school spots within six months. The 70% six-year graduation rate outpaces many regional peers, and outcomes stretch beyond Ohio: engineering grads snag co-ops at Fortune 500 firms, while pharmacy alumni often land at Cleveland Clinic. One Facebook post sums it up: ‘The value of an ONU degree is more than a promise; it’s a proven outcome.’
At $57,236 total cost, ONU isn’t cheap—but 72.83% of students receive aid, with average packages slashing the net price to $26,396. Merit scholarships (guaranteed for four years) hinge on GPA and test scores, while Need-based aidFinancial aid awarded based on your family's ability to pay, as measured by forms like the FAFSA, rather than on achievements. averages $28,000/year. The financial aid office aggressively matches competitor offers, a must for a school where 69% of students rely on assistance. Pro tip: Use their Net Price Calculator early—it’s eerily accurate.
ONU is the anti-factory school: no lecture halls with 300 students, no grads lost in resume piles. Its engineering and health programs rival larger universities’ resources (think NASA-funded labs), while the liberal arts core ensures chemists can write and poets can code. The 95% placement rate reflects a ‘family-like’ alumni network that opens doors—and a career services team that starts prepping students freshman year. For Midwesterners who want big-school outcomes with small-town support, ONU delivers.
Ohio Northern University logo · sourceCampus Map | Ohio Northern University · sourceStudent Population & Enrollment | ONU At-a-Glance · sourceVisit | Ohio Northern University · source
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